Pinezhsky Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Pinezhsky Nature Reserve, Pinezhsky Zapovednik is the nature reserve
(a zapovednik) in the north of Russia
, located in Pinezhsky District
of Arkhangelsk Oblast
, on the right bank of the Pinega River
and on both banks of the Sotka River, the source of the Kuloy River
. It was established August 20, 1974. The nature reserve is created to protect the karst
landscapes and the coniferous forests (taiga
) of the Northern Russia.
Pinezhsky Nature Reserve protects three types of landscapes: swamp
y flatland (in the western part, on the divide between the Kuloy and the Pinega river basins); hilly plateau
(which is the south-eastern part of the White Sea - Kuloy Plateau which rises to the east of the Dvina Bay
), and the karst
landscapes. Whereas the first two are somehow typical for Arkhangelsk Oblast, the karst is unique. There are such dinstinctive features of the karst as caves (more than 500 in the reserve limits), ravines (some of them up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long), and lakes.There are 83 lakes in the Reserve, and most of them are karst lakes. Two of the creeks vanish below the earth, with one of them, the Karyala, reappearing after 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) at the side of a ravine.
, brown bear
(between 15 and 20), lynx
, wolverine
, wolf
, red fox
, badger
, beaver
, European mink
, European otter
and others.
, located close to the current area of the nature reserve, has been known since 17th century. However, there were no settlements away from the right bank of the Pinega, and the area was not really used for any development.
The creation of the nature reserve was initiated by the biologist Dmitry Saburov (1931-1996) who from 1963 to 1966 investigated the woods which at the time belonged to Pinega and Karpogory forest enterprises. Saburov then suggested to create the nature reserve of the area of 1720 square kilometre, and the project was supported by academic circles, in the first instance by Saburov's home institution, the Komarov Botanical Institute
. However, the project met resistance from the timber industry, and as a compromise, the natural reserve was open in 1974 with the area of 412.44 square kilometre. Eventually the area was extended to 515.22 square kilometre, the last extension was performed in 1996.
In 2004, the Karst Museum was open in the Reserve.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
(a zapovednik) in the north of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, located in Pinezhsky District
Pinezhsky District
Pinezhsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Pinezhsky Municipal District...
of Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast
Arkhangelsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea....
, on the right bank of the Pinega River
Pinega River
The Pinega is a river in Verkhnetoyemsky, Pinezhsky, and Kholmogorsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Northern Dvina River. It is long, and the area of its basin...
and on both banks of the Sotka River, the source of the Kuloy River
Kuloy River (White Sea)
The Kuloy is a river in Pinezhsky and Mezensky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. Its mouth is located in the Mezen Bay of the White Sea. It is long, and the area of its basin . The principal tributaries of the Kuloy are the Kyolda , the Nemnyuga , and the Soyana...
. It was established August 20, 1974. The nature reserve is created to protect the karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
landscapes and the coniferous forests (taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
) of the Northern Russia.
Location and geography
The are of the nature reserve is elongated from north to south. The south-eastern border runs parallel to the course of the Pinega at the distance of several kilometers from the riverbed, approximately between the villages of Valdokurye and Pelino. The southern part of the nature reserve belongs to the Belaya River, a tributary of the Pinega. The northern part is crossed from the west to the east by the Sotka River.Pinezhsky Nature Reserve protects three types of landscapes: swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y flatland (in the western part, on the divide between the Kuloy and the Pinega river basins); hilly plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
(which is the south-eastern part of the White Sea - Kuloy Plateau which rises to the east of the Dvina Bay
Dvina Bay
The Dvina Bay is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia. It is one of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Mezen Bay, the Onega Bay, and the Kandalaksha Gulf. The two main river emptying into the Dvina Bay is the Northern Dvina River, while the two cities...
), and the karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
landscapes. Whereas the first two are somehow typical for Arkhangelsk Oblast, the karst is unique. There are such dinstinctive features of the karst as caves (more than 500 in the reserve limits), ravines (some of them up to 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long), and lakes.There are 83 lakes in the Reserve, and most of them are karst lakes. Two of the creeks vanish below the earth, with one of them, the Karyala, reappearing after 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) at the side of a ravine.
Flora
There are 480 plant species in the Reserve, some of which are endemic for North-East of the European Russia. The reserve is mostly covered by forests, which are siberian fir (72.5%), pine (16%), birch (7%) and larch (4.6%). Most of the birch forests occupy the area where the woods previously burnt down or were cut down. Minor areas, mostly in floodplains, are occupied by meadows.Fauna
The area of the Reserve is too small, and most of the animals do not reside there permanently but migrate. Among the species which occur in the Reserve are mooseMoose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
(between 15 and 20), lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
, wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
, wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, European mink
European mink
The European mink , also known as the Russian mink, is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to Europe. It is listed by the IUCN as Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers, having been calculated as being more than 50% over the past three generations...
, European otter
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
and others.
History
The valley of the Pinega River was populated by Russians since at least 13th century, and the settlement of PinegaPinega
Pinega is a settlement, formerly a town, in Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River . It serves as the administrative center of Pinezhsky Selsoviet, one of the seventeen selsoviets into which the district is administratively divided...
, located close to the current area of the nature reserve, has been known since 17th century. However, there were no settlements away from the right bank of the Pinega, and the area was not really used for any development.
The creation of the nature reserve was initiated by the biologist Dmitry Saburov (1931-1996) who from 1963 to 1966 investigated the woods which at the time belonged to Pinega and Karpogory forest enterprises. Saburov then suggested to create the nature reserve of the area of 1720 square kilometre, and the project was supported by academic circles, in the first instance by Saburov's home institution, the Komarov Botanical Institute
Komarov Botanical Institute
The Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a leading botanical institution in Russia, It is located on Aptekarsky Island in St. Petersburg, and is named after the Russian botanist Vladimir Leontyevich Komarov...
. However, the project met resistance from the timber industry, and as a compromise, the natural reserve was open in 1974 with the area of 412.44 square kilometre. Eventually the area was extended to 515.22 square kilometre, the last extension was performed in 1996.
Recreation and tourism
The nature reserve has a relatively remote location, however, it gets a share of tourists visiting the caves.In 2004, the Karst Museum was open in the Reserve.